Travel Survey

If half of travelers would like airports to have movie theatres, Michael Taylor can’t help but wonder why they would want to spend even more time in a chair watching a movie – when that is that they are going to be doing in flight.

 

I was surprised to learn that a movie theatre was among the many facilities included at Terminal 2 of Hong Kong International Airport, but apparently the people that designed the terminal knew something that I didn’t know.

Nearly half of travelers surveyed by travel web site Skyscanner named “cinema” as one of the things that they would most like to see included in an airport terminal.

Dream Airport Wish List

If 49% of the 10,000 travelers taking the survey said that a movie theatre topped their Dream Airport Wish List, HKIA would be their dream come true. Seating up to 350 people, the UA Imax Theatre @Airport has the largest Imax screen in Hong Kong.

It also features crystal clear images a state of the art sound system.

Other airport facilities deired by travelers include sleep pods, an airport library, an outdoor park, and a vanity area with complimentary cosmetics.

Karaoke facilities, gyms, outdoor parks, and man made beaches were some of the other facilities mentioned in the travel survey.

Top 10 Most Wanted Facilities at Airports

1.      Cinema – 49%

2.      Sleep pod – 36%

3.      Library – 32%

4.      Park – 31%

5.      Vanity area – 30%

6.      Kids play area – 21%

7.      Pool – 20%

8.      Gym – 15%

9.      Man-made beach – 12%

10.    Bikes – 11%

Men and women both named an airport cinema as their top choice for airport facilities, but they disagreed on many of the other options that the travel survey offered.

While 45% of women wanted a vanity area offering free cosmetics and hair styling products, male passengers were more interested in having a swimming pool, where they could do laps.

Comment and Analysis

Having movie theatres at airports is all well and good, but I must admit, I am a bit confused.

To start with, many people spend most of their time on board an airplane watching a movie. So why would they want to do the same thing at the airport?

Not only that.

The survey doesn’t explain just when travelers would find time to watch a movie at the airport. Would they do so before flights, after flights, or between flights if they are making a connection?

Or would people traveling to the airport to greet pepole or see people off also take in a movie, killing two birds with one stone?

Or have airports – with their numerous food and beverage outlets and shopping malls – become destinations in their own right?